Something Better
by Kalysia
Summary: Dee is gone. As Ryo begins to heal, he reaches out to another, one who may be hurting more than he realizes. RyoJ.J.
1. With Worry

Disclaimer: I do not own _FAKE_. I lay claim to the compilation of the words that comprise this story.

Author's Notes: This is my first _FAKE_ piece. Well, the first one that I have followed through past the first few paragraphs. Upon completing the series, I realized that I had, somehow, become a fan of the pairing of Ryo and J.J. I searched for any Ryo/J.J. fanfiction pieces, and found absolutely nothing. (Well, okay, I found one, but, it was a sex scene, and Dee was involved). In the spirit of my lack of discovery, I decided to write my own piece. One thing led to another, and I decided upon a few surprises for the sequel. (Hint, hint). Anyway, I will stop rambling, now, and let you move on to the actual story. Enjoy!

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The cold of that February morning hit Ryo full in the face, as he stepped out of the front door of his apartment building. It still amazed him that he could actually feel anything, anymore. For the past two weeks, he had been so numb to the world around him, that it seemed as though nothing could ever get through to him, again. For the first few days of said two weeks, he was not sure that he cared, either way.

Dee was gone. He was gone, and Ryo had no idea where to. He missed that dark haired, green eyed man, a fact that he could not and would not deny. Every time that he thought about Dee, Ryo had to physically fight the urge to fall to his knees, break down, and cry. As it was, he cried himself to sleep on a nightly basis, in his now much too cold, much too empty bed. The sheets still smelled like Dee, as did his pillow. For this reason, Ryo had refrained from changing anything in the room. To do that would mean that he was shutting out the part of his life that had once been inhabited by Dee Laytner, his friend, his partner, his lover. Ryo could not bear to move on, not yet, not so soon. Hell, part of him still hoped and prayed that Dee would clear his head, and come home.

But, he never did. Two weeks became a month, one month became six, and before he knew it, life seemed to be returning to normal. Well, that was, as normal as it could have been, after everything had happened. Ryo's work ethic, which had never truly faltered, in the first place, returned to what it once had been. He began to smile, again, after so many months of living with a frown permanently etched into his features. Life was beginning to look just as beautiful as he had once remembered it to be. Ryo had not moved on, completely. Such a thing would take quite a bit of time to occur. For the time being, however, he was doing very well.

Of course, he had not gotten through those six months by himself. Ryo would have fallen, had it not been for Bikky and Carol, who had seen him through the toughest of moments, never leaving him by himself in that entire half year span. It was not until they were completely satisfied that Ryo was once again the tall brunette that they had come to love, that they decided to back off. Even then, the process of regaining his own individual grip on his own life was a slow one. However, Ryo understood that the two kids were just looking out for his well being. For that, alone, he would be eternally grateful.

_May God be damned_, he thought, _if I ever let those kids down_.

It was not until August that Ryo took a good look at what the last few months of his life had been about, at where they had gone. While he was still recovering, Ryo had to smile at the progress that he had made, with the help of his friends, and his family. His colleagues at work had been a terrific help, as well. The chief, who had known about Ryo's relationship with Dee, and had conveniently _overlooked_ it a few times, had been the greatest of them all. He had allowed Ryo to take a week of vacation time, when the young detective had only asked for a few days. Chief Smith had said that he would pull a few strings, knowing that Ryo would not be working up to his full potential, and get him the time. Just as Ryo had expected, the chief stuck by his promise. This was something else for which the brunette would be forever grateful.

The only member of the squad that did not play the sympathy card with Ryo was J.J. This did not truly surprise Ryo, as he felt that the younger man was most likely very upset. Granted, not as utterly devastated as Ryo, himself, but, the older man felt that J.J. was hurting, as well. He also knew that, as he had not spoken to J.J., he could not even think about truly judging his pain. All that Ryo could say was that his pain surpassed that of anyone else, as no one else was hurting in the exact same way. The younger detective had said nothing to Ryo beyond what he needed to get across to him for work. Other than that, the last six months had met Ryo with what appeared to be the age old tradition of the cold shoulder. To some degree, this worried the brunette, as he found himself wondering if J.J. was truly all right.

Which was why, as he sat at his desk, Ryo could not concentrate on the task at hand. The incident report that sat before him was a haze, as he considered several different things at once. Another month had passed, and Ryo found himself slipping into the slight chill of September. It had been seven months, seven long, excruciating months of putting up a brave front for everyone around him, as well as for himself. Seven months of emptiness, loneliness, and sorrow. Seven months of self-assertion and growth. Seven months of recovery. So far, Ryo was proud of himself, proud that he had not completely faltered in the face of his loss. He had shed his tears, had screamed himself hoarse, and, now, he was getting along fine. Ryo had released his pains and frustrations, and made a valiant attempt at continuing his life. It still hurt, that Dee was gone, but, he was finally able to say that he was starting to let go.

While the thoughts of his recovery flooded his thoughts, his concern for J.J. continued to increase, on a daily basis. The young man looked like hell, and it just seemed to be getting worse. On this particular morning, J.J. had come into the office looking completely worn out and run down. Ryo had wondered if he had even slept the night before. If he had, it sure as hell did not show. This worried Ryo, something that he did not do very often, anymore. He made the sudden, unconscious decision to check in with J.J., the next time that he saw him.

It nearly scared Ryo, as the individual in question walked right past his open office door, just as the thought had left his mind, never once looking up. As the younger man came into his sight, Ryo rose from his seat, and walked toward the break room, where J.J. had disappeared into. Stepping across the threshold of the room, Ryo frowned, taking in the sight of his colleague, as the young man attempted to feed a one dollar bill into the vending machine. Unfortunately, the dollar bill appeared to be much too wrinkled to be accepted, and the machine kept spitting it back out. J.J. either did not notice, or did not care, as he continued to push the same dollar bill into the slot of the machine. Again, the currency was rejected, and, once again, J.J. pressed the money back. The part of this whole scenario that nearly scared Ryo to death was the fact that J.J. seemed completely unfazed by this whole situation. The young man was not getting even the slightest bit frustrated, which was quite unnerving to the chestnut brown haired man that stood in the doorway.

Finally, unable to stomach this display any longer, Ryo reached into his pocket, and pulled out a one dollar bill. He stepped toward J.J., and held out the money for the younger man.

"J.J.?" Ryo asked. Upon hearing Ryo's words, J.J. flinched, a little. This made Ryo uneasy, but, he continued. "Here, take this one," he offered, quietly. "It's not so crumpled. It might work better."

It took a moment, but J.J. finally reached out his hand, and gently took the offered money from Ryo. He did not make eye contact, or speak, and merely nodded his thanks, as he pressed the crumpled piece of paper of his own into the older man's hand. He returned to what he was doing, and fed the money into the vending machine. Thankfully, the machine accepted this dollar bill, and J.J. almost looked relieved. He pressed a few buttons, and retrieved his snack after it had dropped from its resting place. Turning, J.J. made his way toward the doorway. He did not get far, however, as Ryo decided to speak what was on his mind.

"J.J.?" he called, as the younger man neared the doorway. J.J. stopped, but never turned around, and said nothing. Ryo took this as a sign to continue, and opened his mouth to speak, once more. "J.J., are you all right?" he asked, deciding to get straight to the point. He was met with silence. "Look, I know that you are upset. Anyone can see that from a mile away on a foggy day." He smiled, his best attempt at humor. Once again, he received no reply. To this, Ryo could not help but sigh. "I'm…" he hesitated. "I'm worried about you, J.J. This isn't like you. I have never, in the two and a half years that I have been here, seen you this upset."

Hearing Ryo's confession, J.J. turned around, and looked at the older man. What Ryo saw in J.J.'s eyes in that moment scared the hell out of him. There was no feeling, not even pain. There was just a ghostly shadow of what was once the bright sparks of life that once found their way into the young man's eyes. Ryo was so mesmerized by this sudden revelation, that he made no move to stop J.J., as he turned, and walked out of the break room. It took a moment, but Ryo was soon following J.J. at a pretty close distance, right into the younger man's office. When J.J. noticed that Ryo had followed him, he looked him in the eyes, with that same empty, lifeless gaze from just a moment before.

"Shut the door," J.J. requested, after a moment. Ryo did as he was asked, and shut the office door.

The minute that the latch clicked, Ryo lost all sense of what was happening. He felt arms around his waist, and looked down to see that J.J. was on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Ryo maneuvered his way to the floor, and could not help but try to wrap his arms around the figure that was now desperately clinging to his legs. There was no time for Ryo's mind to process how truly awkward the situation was. In a matter of seconds, he had pulled J.J. away from his legs, and up to his eye level. Looking the younger man in the eyes, Ryo paused for a moment, before pulling J.J. into a tight embrace. He gently rocked the man back and forth in his arms, as he listened to the quiet sobs that escaped J.J.'s throat.

"Shhh," Ryo breathed, his best attempt at calming the hysterical form in his arms. He let his left hand travel to J.J.'s hair, running his fingers through the short strands. "It's okay. Let it out, J.J. I'm here." J.J. seemed to cry harder at these words, and Ryo eased his way toward the door, where he turned the lock. There was no need to have anyone else witness this moment. Pressing his back against the wall beside the door, Ryo slid down, until he was seated on the floor, and pulled J.J. into his lap. J.J.'s head was soon pressed against Ryo's neck, and the older man tightened his embrace. He continued to rock the younger man in his arms, and whispered soothing words into his ear.

The two stayed in their respective positions for several moments. Just as Ryo began to worry that J.J. had suffered a serious mental break, the sobs began to subside, as he felt the younger man's breathing begin to even out, and his body relaxed. It was then that Ryo realized that his colleague had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled, and placed a gentle kiss on the top of J.J.'s head.

"Rest, J.J.," he whispered, knowing that the man in his arms could not hear him. "I'll be right here, when you wake up."


	2. An Answered Plea

Disclaimer: I do not own _FAKE_. I lay claim to the compilation of the words that comprise this story.

Author's Notes: Thank you for reviewing. I felt that now would be a good time to upload the new chapter. Enjoy!

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Unfortunately, Ryo was unable to keep his whispered promise to the man in his arms. Drake, who had evidently seen Ryo disappear into J.J.'s office, had come around to check on things. Ryo had balanced J.J. in his arms, abandoning the idea that it would be an awkward moment, and stood to open the door. Drake was nothing, if not completely speechless, as he took in the sight of his partner, cradled in the arms of the man that J.J. had once described as the bane of his very existence. It took Drake a few minutes to find his voice, before he could ask the question that was on his mind.

"What happened?" he asked, looking from Ryo, to J.J., and back to Ryo. "Is he okay?"

Ryo nodded, looking down at the man in his arms. "Yeah," he whispered, a soft, barely noticeable smile playing across his features. "He's just tired." It was then that Ryo realized how light J.J. was to hold. This concerned him, even more. As he paused, for a quick moment, to think about it, he did realize that J.J. had somehow managed to lose weight. The younger man was already about as small as they came. Now, he seemed to be even smaller.

A thought played into Ryo's head, and he looked up, acknowledging Drake's presence for the first time. His expression became serious, and he motioned for Drake to come into the office the rest of the way, and close the door. Drake did as he was asked, and, before the detective knew it, his partner was being gently thrust into his arms.

"Do me a favor," Ryo began. "Watch him, for a minute. I'm going to go talk to Commissioner Rose." Drake nodded, and Ryo smiled. Stealing one last glance at the sleeping form of J.J., the brunette left the room, and headed for the Commissioner's office. Once he was standing in front of the large wooden door, Ryo knocked, twice, and waited.

"Come in," came the monotone reply of his superior officer. Ryo entered the office, and Berkley, who had been apparently signing some papers, looked up. Upon seeing Ryo, a smile crossed the man's face, and he stood from his place, seated comfortably behind his desk. "Well, Mr. MacLean, how may I be of service to you, today?"

Attempting to block out the sudden feeling that Berkley had meant for his question to be taken in more than one way, Ryo looked at the man before him, and cleared his throat. What he was about to ask would be quite a shock, coming from his mouth. Though, shocking, or not, Ryo knew that he had to do this. Not for himself, for J.J.

"Ryo?" Berkley asked, growing impatient. "What is it that you want?"

Taking in a breath, Ryo began. "Sir, I would like your permission to take J.J. to his home, for the remained of the day." He paused, reconsidering his words. He did not want them to be misinterpreted. Judging by the look of confusion that was spread across Berkley's face, they most certainly had been. "What I mean, Sir, is that J.J. is not doing so well, this morning."

"So I noticed," Berkley interrupted, with a slight nod.

"Yes, well, I do not think that he should be here, today." Knowing that those words alone would not help his case, any, Ryo thought up a pretty good lie, to cover his tracks. "If something were to happen, today, Sir, well…" He paused, choosing his next words careful, as he knew that they would either make or break his attempt at getting J.J. home. "In his current condition, J.J. could very easily become a liability. That is not a risk that I would like to take."

Berkley seemed to consider this information, for a moment, before nodding, once more. "Neither would I, Ryo. Take him home. I am sure that today will be quiet, but, do hurry back." He looked Ryo in his eyes. "You never know what will happen, in this city."

Ryo nodded, remaining calm on the outside, while, on the inside, he was, for some inexplicable reason, ready to jump around like a five year old at Christmas. "Thank you, Sir." He turned to leave, and had his hand on the door, when he heard Berkley's voice, once more.

"Make sure that he is okay, Ryo," he said, quietly. "I'm counting on you."

Considering the Commissioner's almost feeling tone, for a moment, Ryo nodded, once more, and left the office. He swiftly made his way back to J.J.'s office, where he found Drake leaning against a wall, the younger officer still resting in his arms.

As if he were somehow tuning into Ryo's thoughts, Drake looked up at the brunette, and posed a question. "You taking him home?" Ryo nodded, and reached out his arms, offering to take J.J. from the man before him. Drake handed the younger man back to Ryo, and frowned. "He's lost weight. I don't like that."

Ryo frowned. "Neither do I." He heard a light chuckle coming from Drake's direction, and turned to look at what was so amusing. "What?" he whispered.

"Nothing," Drake said, with a small smile. "I just did know that you had suddenly become so worried about him." He pointed to J.J., who sighed, in his sleep. Looking back up at Ryo, Drake looked into the other man's eyes. "When _did_ that happen?"

To that, Ryo could only shrug, slightly, and shake his head. "I have no idea." He smiled up at Drake, before nodding his head in the direction of J.J.'s desk. "Would you get me his coat?" Once the other man had retrieved the garment, Ryo asked one more favor. "Could you drape it across him? It's kind of cold, out there."

Drake did as he was asked, but looked back at Ryo, for a moment, quizzically. "You gonna' carry him out?"

Ryo nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." In truth, Ryo did not have the heart to wake J.J. In the brunette's mind, the younger man deserved to sleep. Even in his state of mind, lately, J.J. had not faltered in his work ethic. In fact, he had been working harder than even, which was another warning sign to Ryo that something was wrong. When Dee had left, it was all that he could do to refrain from doing his own paper work, and everyone else's, as well. Work was an outlet for his emotions, and he felt that such was most likely the case with J.J. Something was happening to the man in his arms, something deeper than what Ryo had original thought.

"Ryo," Drake said, quietly. "Take care of him, okay?"

Again, Ryo nodded. "I will." With that, he turned, and walked out of the office, the sleeping man still cradled in his arms. He made his way to his car, Drake holding open doors for him, along the way. Once he had settled J.J. into the front passenger seat of his vehicle, he gave Drake one last farewell, climbed into the driver's seat, and drove off. It soon hit him that he had no idea where J.J. lived. In light of this new realization, Ryo was faced with two options. He could either wake J.J., and ask the address, or, he could take the younger man to his own home. Ryo opted for the latter, still not wanting to wake J.J. from his sleep.

Ryo continued on, until coming upon his apartment building. It took some maneuvering, and just this side of a miracle, but, the brunette somehow managed to get his colleague out of the car, into the building, and up to his apartment. Once inside, he lay J.J. down on the couch, and headed for the bathroom. There, he retrieved a washcloth, and wet it down with cool water. Returning to J.J.'s side, he draped the washcloth over the younger man's forehead. One touch of the man's skin signaled that he had a fever, and this prompted Ryo to call back to the office, and explain that he would not be able to come back for the day.

Ryo sat down on the floor, and pulled his knees to his chest, as he watched J.J. sleeping. The younger man looked so peaceful, that Ryo could not believe that he was staring at the face of the little hellion that had caused him countless headaches and carried out a rivalry for Dee to the point of distraction. God help him, but, as he lay there, J.J. looked almost angelic. Ryo considered this, as he continued to watch J.J., as the man drifted further into a well-earned, much-deserved sleep.


	3. Upon Awakening

Disclaimer: I do not own _FAKE_. I lay claim to the compilation of the words that comprise this story.

Author's Note: I am surprised that you are enjoying this piece! Really, I am. I was so nervous about posting it, because I know how many die hard Ryo/Dee fans there are, out there, as well as Drake/JJ fans. I was not so much afraid to split up two of the most popular pairings, (two pairings which, by the way, I absolutely adore),as I was surprised that I wanted to see Ryo and J.J. together. Well, according to a specific request, I (obviously) decided to upload the third chapter. Enjoy!

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Upon opening his eyes, J.J. was startled. He sat straight up, but fell back down, clutching his head, and groaning in pain. The young man closed his eyes, tightly, and clenched his jaw. After a moment, the pain subsided. J.J. relaxed his jaw, and opened his eyes, once more.

_What was that?_ he asked himself, silently. _I didn't like that, at all._

An unusual sound reached J.J.'s ears, and he looked around the room, his head still down against the couch. _Wait a minute! What am I doing on a couch? This isn't my couch! Where am I?_

The young man pondered this question for several moments, bordering on panic, before the same sound from minutes previous registered in his ears, once more. Sitting up, this time more slowly, J.J. peered over the back of the couch. He was met with a large wall, painted an unadulterated white. From his position on the large couch, J.J. could easily see the kitchen, what appeared to be a bathroom, and several closed doors. For some reason, the entire set up of the place seemed familiar to him. He just could not figure out how or why.

With a sigh of frustration, J.J. looked down at the other end of the couch. As his feet came into view, sticking out from underneath a large, light blue blanket, something else caught his eye. J.J. nearly jumped back, and screamed, as he realized that there was a hand resting near his feet. This hand was still attached to a wrist, at the very least, and the arm disappeared as it neared the floor. Utterly terrified, the sharpshooter swallowed, hard, and leaned over the couch. His eyes scanned a lean, male figure, dressed in dress pants and a white shirt.

_Oh, shit!_ he thought. _I hope to hell that he's not dead!_

As J.J.'s eyes traveled up the figure's body, he was at a loss. His gaze finally fell upon the other man's face.

"GAH!" J.J. let out a shout, this time, and pushed himself as far back against the arm of the couch as he could. "RYO?" he screamed, as the man on the floor began to stir. It took a moment, but, J.J. finally calmed down enough to stop screaming. "What in the hell is going on?"

Ryo sat up, with a groan. He blinked, several times, before resting his gaze on J.J. Upon seeing the face of his colleague, Ryo smiled. "Hey, you're awake…" he mumbled, still half asleep. "Sorry. I guess that I dozed off."

_He doesn't sound surprised to find me here,_ J.J. thought, quickly. His realization sparked another, more horrifying thought. _Oh, shit! I didn't…_ The sharpshooter ran his hands over his body, frantically, before sighing in relief. He was still fully clothed.

Ryo watched J.J.'s actions, and raised his left eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"Okay? OKAY?" J.J. screeched. "I'd be fine, if you'd tell me why I'm here!" His tone of surprise changed to one of anger, as he caught Ryo laughing at him. "What's so funny? Huh?"

"You don't remember?"

J.J. paused. What was he supposed to remember? Since his clothes were still on, as he had already determined, there was a very slim chance that they had messed around. A bit worried, J.J. took a moment to think about the question before him. He remembered pulling himself out of bed, and leaving for work. He had received no new cases, and had spent his morning filling out some paperwork, and filing the incident report for the Bretten case. J.J. smirked. _Leave it to Drake to pistol whip the guy…_ Morning break had come, and he was hungry. He remembered getting up, leaving his office, and going to the break room. Ryo… Ryo had given him a dollar, because his would not go into the machine. The tall brunette was… Worried? J.J. mentally scoffed at the thought, but, he reconsidered. _That was what he said, wasn't it? It was._ Ryo had followed him into his office. J.J. had told him to lock the door, and then…

"Oh, shit!" J.J. nearly screamed, as realization dawned on him. What in the hell had he done that for? Why had he been so stupid? Showing a vulnerability like that. He knew that Ryo would never let it go. J.J. looked over at the other man, still in disbelief at his own actions.

Ryo, for his part, looked equally bewildered. "J.J.? What's the matter? Are you feeling okay?" He moved to sit on the couch, but, just as he took his seat, J.J. scooted back against the armrest, once more. "J.J.?" Ryo repeated, somewhat concerned. "Is everything all right? You gave Drake and I a bit of a scare, today."

J.J. cringed. Drake knew about his little incident, too? "How many other people know about it?" he asked, without thinking.

Ryo looked thoughtful. "Um, well, just me, Drake, and Commissioner Rose." At that comment, J.J. froze, and Ryo immediately felt guilty. "I'm sorry, J.J. I had to get permission to take you home after you fell asleep."

"I…" J.J. trailed. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? Just, don't tell anyone else." A thought jumped into the young man's head, and he could not help but ask. "How did you get me out of the building? I don't remember waking up."

Ryo shrugged. "I carried you out." As J.J. began to protest, Ryo continued. "Don't worry. Drake blocked everyone's view. No one saw you." The brunette smiled, softly, as J.J. noticeably relaxed. "I have to know," Ryo continued, warily. "What happened, today?"

Once more, J.J. stiffened. He had no idea how to respond. There was no way that he was going to tell the other man the truth. That would be something. _He'd just laugh at me. Or, worse, he would…_ J.J. shook his head. There was just no way that he could admit to it.

The silence that fell over his colleague was beginning to worry Ryo. He was about to repeat his question, when something in his mind told him not to. _He's probably still hurting, and you know that. Besides, who says that he wants to talk about it? Let him come to you. Otherwise, leave him be._

Deciding that his conscience was right, Ryo held up his right hand, and smiled. "You know what? Don't worry about it. Your business is your business, right?" _Oh, that sounded good. Make it sound like you don't care, a little more, why don't you?_ Ryo shook his head, a bit, and stood up from his place on the couch. "What I mean is, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. It's none of my business, anyway." With that, the brunette began to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going?" J.J. asked, quietly. He knew that it was none of his business, but, he was curious. Why was Ryo retreating, all of a sudden?

Hearing J.J.'s question, Ryo stopped, and looked over his right shoulder. "To the bathroom," he replied, with a soft smile. "You had a fever, earlier. I'm going to get the thermometer. I want to know if it had come down, any." With one final smile, Ryo turned back around, and disappeared into the bathroom.

J.J. stared after Ryo, long after the other man had disappeared from view. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Was Ryo really worried about him? When had that started? Remembering the brunette's words, J.J. reached up, and touched his forehead. _I am a bit warm,_ he considered, as he rested his hand in his lap. A sudden feeling of warmth tingled its way through his body, settling in his stomach. The sensation caught J.J. by surprise, and he tried to fight it down. When the feeling did not subside, J.J. gave up. As a stray thought found its way into his mind, the young man smiled.

_Maybe, this is what it feels like to have someone care._


	4. Grip

Disclaimer: I do not own _FAKE_. I lay claim to the compilation of the words that comprise this story.

Author's Note: Well, I am not sure how I feel about this chapter. I did not want to rush anything, but, something had to happen, sometime! Now, I think that I had better stop going on about this, and let you find out what happens, for yourselves! As I said, I am not yet sure whether I truly like this chapter. So, yeah... Oh, and, thank you, to all who reviewed! This one is for you! Enjoy!

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"Eh, it could be worse," Ryo said, as he ran the thermometer under the faucet water. "At least you're not in a danger zone."

"Danger zone?" J.J. repeated. "What are you talking about?"

Placing the thermometer back into its plastic case, Ryo turned around, and faced the man sitting at his kitchen table. "Well, since it's only one hundred point four, you're okay. If it were, say, one hundred three," Ryo paused, looking pointedly at his colleague, "I would be dragging you to the hospital."

J.J. narrowed his eyes. "I'm sick, not stupid, Ryo. You could have just said 'A danger zone would be a really high fever'." The sharpshooter scowled. "Message received."

Ryo smiled. "Okay, I'm sorry. Really. I wasn't trying to imply that you were unintelligent." The brunette scanned the kitchen, quickly, deciding upon an idea. "Would you like something to eat?" he offered. "I could make you dinner."

"Maybe later," J.J. replied, quietly. The young man looked down, into his cup of hot cocoa. He smiled, a little, knowing that Ryo had made the drink for him. _Oddly enough,_ he thought, _this is nice. I like this. I like having someone here for me, even if he is completely oblivious._ J.J. sighed, and looked up at Ryo. A question had been dancing around in his head since he had woken to find himself in the other man's apartment. He was hesitant to ask, but, the more that he thought about it, the more he had to know. Taking a deep breath, J.J. steadied himself. "Ryo?"

Ryo looked back at J.J. "Yeah?"

_Now what do I say? It shouldn't be this hard._ "Um, could I ask you something?"

"Sure," the brunette replied, taking a seat across from J.J. "What's on your mind?"

"Why?" J.J. stated, simply.

Ryo looked a bit confused. "I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"Why did you help me? Why are you _helping_ me? I don't understand." He paused, and took a breath.

"Why wouldn't I help you?" Ryo replied, still trying to work his answer out in his head, before committing it to words. As it was, he had no formidable answer for himself, let alone an answer for the man before him.

J.J. scoffed. "You know what I'm talking about, Ryo.I really don't have to spell it out." He looked back into his drink, locks of light brown hair falling to cover his eyes. "I've put you through so much shit in the last four years. I would have expected you to leave me to myself. Either that, or dump me on Drake."

Ryo cringed, inside. _Is that really what he thinks? That I would be so petty as to ignore what was right in front of myself? That's a confidence booster._ Taking a breath, the brunette leaned forward, a bit. "Hey, our differences have no bearing on at least two things: Work, and whenever we need each other. Granted, nine times out of ten, the only time that we need one another is on the job." Ryo paused, and gave J.J. a warm gentle smile. "But, sometimes, none of that matters."

Hearing Ryo's words, J.J. looked up. The smile that graced Ryo's features touched him, deep inside. The feeling caught him by surprise. _Wow. I guess that it has been a long time since anyone has cared._ He smiled, then, but had no idea why.

"Besides," Ryo continued, rising from his chair. "We've only known each other for two and a half years. Your numbers are a bit off."

J.J. snickered. _Where has he been?_ "I hate to tell you this, Ryo, but I met you three years and nine months ago." He smirked, and looked back into his cup. "I've been a pain in your ass for nearly four years, now."

Ryo blinked. As he thought back, he realizes that J.J. was right. It had been the better part of four years that they had known one another. "Wow. I hadn't realized that it had been that long…" The brunette considered where he had lost so much time. It was as if the last year had never happened.

As if to have read Ryo's mind, J.J. spoke, once more. "What did you do, Ryo? Block out the last year of your life?" Before he could stop himself, the sharpshooter's mouth worked before his mind could. "I would have thought that you would have treasured the last year, with having Dee with you." The minute that the words had left his mouth, J.J. wished with all of the power that he possessed that he could just take them back.

Ryo froze. He felt his hands clench into fists, and he shut his eyes, tightly. Dee… No one had mentioned his name in quite a while. The brunette was still angry at the man, even after all of this time. _Calm down, Ryo,_ he told himself. _You can't let this get to you. You're stronger than this._

J.J. immediately felt guilty. "I-I'm sorry!" he stammered. "I… I didn't mean to…" Tears began to form in his eyes. _I should leave. He doesn't want to see me here, now, I'm sure._ "I am so sorry, Ryo. I, um…" he trailed, trying to find the right words. "I'll let myself out." The young man stood from his seat, and wiped at his eyes. As he turned toward the living room, J.J. nearly leapt to the ceiling, as a hand encircled his left wrist. He let out a yelp, in both surprise and pain. "Stop it!" He pulled his arm away, and placed his right hand around his opposite wrist, hissing in discomfort. It was then that J.J. had realized the mistake that he made. Wide eyes looked up, and met a pair of equally bewildered eyes.

"J.J." Ryo said, quietly. _No. No, no, no! This can't be right. Please, God, tell me that I'm wrong…_ After a moment, Ryo took a cautious step toward the man before him. As he had expected, J.J. took a step back. One more step closer, on Ryo's part, and J.J. made a quick move to turn on his heel. Unfortunately, the young man had been positioned in such a way that, upon turning around, he tripped on the metal divider between the kitchen tile, and the living room carpet. Ryo was not fast enough to catch him, and J.J. tumbled to the ground. "J.J.!" the brunette shouted, rushing forward to help the other man up.

"No!" J.J. shrieked, as he pushed himself backward, away from the man before him. "Don't! Just get away from me!" J.J. managed to back himself against a wall, and tried to stand up. He groaned with every movement, his body in an unexplainable amount of pain. Once he reached his feet, he swayed, a bit, before leaning against the wall. He stared at Ryo, and bit on his bottom lip. _Oh, no. He knows! He can't know! I don't want him to know!_ As the young man continued to panic, his breathing became labored. J.J. placed a tentative hand to his throat, and took a slow, deep breath. Tears began to slide down his pink tinged cheeks, regardless of the fact that he had told himself not to cry.

Across the room, Ryo looked on in horror. _What just happened? Does he think that I'll hurt him?_ The brunette took another tentative step, and J.J. whimpered. Ryo watched, as his colleague raised a hand to his throat, and seemingly struggled to breathe. That was all that it took, before Ryo had crossed the room, and was standing in front of J.J. "Are you okay?"

J.J. nodded, and looked at Ryo through his tears. "Fine… Happens… Sometimes…"

J.J.'s words did little to ease Ryo's mind. Looking down, the brunette could not stop himself. He felt almost shamed, as he took advantage of the opportunity before him, and reached a hand toward the cuff of the other man's shirt. _Forgive me, J.J.,_ he thought, _but, I have to know._

J.J. felt a tug at the left sleeve of his dress shirt, and looked down. "What are you… Doing?" he panted. "Leave… That…" He cringed, as he felt the cool air of the room brush across his wrist.

As he unbuttoned the cuff, the sight that Ryo was met with both saddened and angered him. J.J.'s wrist was badly discolored. The marks overlapped one another, all in the shapes of fingertips. Some of the marks were a dull yellow, and healing. Others were dark purple, definitely fresh. Without a word, Ryo turned his attention to J.J.'s right wrist. Reaching forward, the brunette unbuttoned the other cuff, and inspected the exposed skin. Similar marks covered the slender wrist, though most of the marks seemed to be healing.

Ryo felt anger rise inside of him. He looked into the eyes of the man before him, and asked the inevitable question. "Who did this to you, J.J.?" he asked, barely able to keep the seething tone from his voice.

J.J.'s mouth opened, but only enough to let out a strangled, broken sound. He felt his tears begin to come faster, and with a greater force than before. _He knows… What will he think, now? Why did you let him find out? You are completely helpless, J.J._ The words echoed in J.J.'s mind, causing him to cry even harder. Why had he ever exposed the fact that something was wrong? Why had he not just kept it to himself? _Because, he's here for you, now,_ another voice added. _He'll protect you._ J.J. suddenly felt very weak, and his knees buckled from underneath him. He just wanted to crawl into a corner, and die.

Ryo barely caught J.J., as the man fell to the floor. In one swift movement, Ryo picked the hysterical man up, and cradled him in his arms. He carried J.J. over to the couch, and sat down. Pulling J.J. closer to his chest, Ryo felt the other man grip the front of his shirt with one hand, while the other grabbed onto his left arm. For the second time that day, the brunette found himself rocking J.J. back and forth, in his arms. This time, however, Ryo was pissed. He was not about to let this incident slide. Everything finally fit into place. J.J.'s recent actions, his detachment from the world around him, it all finally made sense. Someone had been hurting the man that was now sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. Somewhere out there, there was a bastard that had stolen J.J.'s lively mannerisms, dulled his vibrant smile, drained him of his energy. Ryo wanted to know who this individual was, wanted to rip him to pieces.

_Damn,_ he thought, quickly. _I guess that I am a bit protective of him._ He looked down at the man in his arms. J.J. was still sobbing, and, as he looked at the younger man, Ryo set aside his thoughts of vengeance. Instead, he leaned down, and pressed a gentle kiss on J.J.'s forehead. J.J. looked up at the contact, and Ryo smiled, sadly. "You're safe, here, J.J.," he whispered, as he brushed his nose against the soft strands of the other man's hair. "I'm here. I won't let anything hurt you."

As he took in Ryo's words, J.J. looked up at the brunette. "Thank… You…" he mumbled through his tears.

"No need," Ryo replied, placing another kiss against J.J.'s forehead. He held the other man tighter, as he continued to sob. Nothing could make Ryo let go of the shaking form in his arms. It was then that an unexplainable, yet completely unavoidable realization hit him. This feeling had nothing to do with what was right, had nothing at all to do with his duty as a police officer. Simply put, Ryo did not want to let J.J. go.


	5. Night's Final Thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not own _FAKE_. I lay claim to the compilation of the words that comprise this story.

Author's Note: Once again, not sure how I feel about this chapter. I realize that this piece has been moving a little slowly, but, things will definitely pick up, in the next chapter. I will not tell you how, but, just know that things will be moving a bit faster. Oh, and a huge "Thank You" to all who have reviewed! Thank you, guys, so much! You are awesome! As you should know, by now, this one is for you! Enjoy!

* * *

Ryo usually awoke to silence. It was something that he was becoming more and more accustomed to, as of late. Upon awakening, this time, Ryo was surprised to hear the faint sounds of someone breathing, rather close to his ear. Opening his eyes, he came face to face with J.J., who was still sound asleep. The brunette smiled, as he brushed a stray piece of hair from the other man's face. He placed a gentle kiss to J.J.'s forehead, before propping his head up on his left hand, supported by his elbow. Ryo began to think, as he simply watched the younger man in front of him.

_He looks so peaceful,_ Ryo thought. _I hate to move him, but, he can't be comfortable on this couch. Even if he is asleep, now, he will be sore, when he wakes up._ As he finished this thought, the brunette attempted to work his way from his current position. Somehow, he and J.J. had managed to lay down on the small couch, and, at some point, they had fallen asleep. Ryo smiled, once more, remembering the way that J.J. had tucked himself into his arms. It seemed as though J.J. felt safe with Ryo. _Could that be possible?_ he wondered, looking over the sharpshooter's sleeping face. _Could he really feel comfortable with me?_

Finally able to get off of the couch, Ryo shoved his thoughts aside, for a moment. He stood, and stretched, to find that each and every muscle that he could still feel groaned, in deep protest. He consoled himself to think that, at the very least, his neck had not cracked. If nothing else, the one thing in the world that irritated Ryo was the cracking of a neck.

_That, and inconsiderate assholes._ He smirked, a bit, before another memory from just hours previous came back to him. _Inconsiderate…_ Ryo stopped, and looked down at J.J., suddenly remembering what had thrown the younger man into his latest fit of hysterics. Anger rose in him, faster than he could ever remember, and he subconsciously clenched his hands into tight fists. _Someone hurt him. Those marks on his arms… I know that he didn't do them, himself._ Ryo sighed, in frustration. _I can't just ask him, at least, not right now._ He looked around, noting how dark it had become inside of the apartment. Taking one final glance at J.J., Ryo decided to make his way to his bedroom.

As he began to strip the sheets from the bed, a realization dawned on upon Ryo. _He came to me. J.J. needed someone, and he came to me…_ He considered this, for a moment. _I wonder why…_ Ryo made a mental note to ask why, as soon as J.J. woke up, in the morning. He walked over to the closet, and grabbed a clean set of sheets from the top shelf. Sliding the last pillowcase into place, Ryo stood back, and allowed himself a moment to admire his meticulous work. He smirked, as he did every time that he caught himself basking in the glow of a job well accomplished, turned around, and walked back to the living room.

"Come on, J.J." Ryo whispered, as he bent down, slightly. "Time for bed." Lifting the younger man into his arms, Ryo proceeded to carry the smaller form to the freshly prepared bed. Ryo was trying desperately not to wake J.J., and he hissed, a bit, when he felt the other man's arm brush up against the door casing of the bedroom door. He kicked himself, mentally, as J.J. began to stir.

"…Ryo…?" J.J. began, his eyes still half closed. "What're you doing…?" He looked around, a bit, before looking back at Ryo.

Ryo smiled down at J.J. "Hey, I'm sorry that I woke you up," he whispered. "I was just moving you to a more comfortable spot."

J.J. blinked, half in confusion, half trying to keep his eyes open. He felt himself being lowered onto a soft surface, and quickly noted that he was on a bed. _Ryo's bed,_ J.J. thought. _Never thought I'd be here…_ He laughed at himself, a bit, noting how ridiculous he sounded, when he was tired.

As he placed J.J. on the bed, Ryo reached for the various blankets that he had previously pushed aside. Pulling the covers over the other man, Ryo made sure that he was comfortable, before bending down, and kissing him on the forehead, one last time. He smiled, as he noticed something. "Hey, your fever's gone," he whispered, as he gazed into J.J.'s eyes.

J.J. smiled, tiredly. "Good," he replied, with a yawn. "I hate being sick. Besides, I can get out of your hair faster…" He paused, considering his words. _I like being here. I wish that I hadn't gotten better, so fast. Now, I'll have to go back to…_ He paused, and held back a shudder. There were some things that he simply did not want to think about, right now. That particular subject was one of them.

Ryo simply smiled, as he brushed back J.J.'s hair with his fingertips. "We'll see," he replied, as he pulled his hand back. He smiled, once more, and turned to leave the room. Before he could even say good night, he felt a slight tug at his shirt. Turning back around, he looked down at his sleeve, to find that J.J. had grabbed onto it. Ryo looked up into the other man's eyes, in question. "What is it?" he whispered, stepping closer to J.J., feeling the grip on his sleeve tighten, considerably. "J.J.?"

"Stay?" J.J. pleaded, quietly.

A frown covered Ryo's face, momentarily, before it was replaced with a soft, gentle smile. He felt the grip on his sleeve loosen, considerably, as the man on the bed seemed to relax, as well. Walking around to the other side of the bed, Ryo slid under the covers, and relaxed himself against one of the pillows. In a matter of seconds, he felt J.J. curl up against his body, and he sighed, contentedly. _It's been a long time, since someone has been in here, with me,_ he thought, sadly. _But, this is different. He needs this, now. This has nothing to do with sharing a bed. This is about me being here, for him, when he needs me. At least, I think that it is me that he needs…_

"Ryo?" came the soft sounds of J.J.'s voice.

Ryo looked down at the man curled against him. "Yeah?" he whispered, softly.

J.J. struggled with his words, before looking up, and into the eyes of the other man. "…Thank you, Ryo," he said, quietly. "It's been a long time since anyone has bothered…" He paused, and looked away, falling silent.

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked, after a moment. He felt J.J. shrug, a little.

"Nothing," J.J. replied, quickly. "Good night, Ryo."

Ryo was not about to let the conversation go, so easily. He sat up, in the bed, pulling J.J. with him. Looking the sharpshooter in the eyes, Ryo asked his question, once more. "J.J., what do you mean? It's been a long time since anyone has bothered to do what?" He was met with several moments of silence, upon which he sighed. "Fine, don't tell me. Good night." With that, he slid back under the covers, still turned to face J.J., and closed his eyes.

J.J. was shocked, momentarily, before he slid back down, and rested himself against Ryo's chest. It was not long, before he lifted his head, once more, and looked at Ryo's face. As he looked away, once more, he decided to let Ryo know what he had wanted to say. "It's been a while, since anyone has bothered to care about me," he whispered, looking back up at Ryo. The brunette opened his eyes, once more, and looked into J.J.'s eyes. "I mean, I'm not trying to put a guilt trip on you, or anything! It's just…" He paused, once more, before looking back up, into expectant eyes. He blushed, as he finished his sentence. "It just feels nice."

Ryo smiled, at hearing J.J.'s words. "I'm glad to hear that," he said, placing a kiss on the top of the other man's head. Wrapping his arms around the smaller form, Ryo felt him move, a bit. He felt the younger man tuck his head under the safely against his chest, and he could not help but smile. Ryo held J.J. close to his body, and inhaled the scent of his hair, noticing for the first time that it smelled of coconut and vanilla. _An interesting combination_, he thought to himself. _It smells so sweet…_ Ryo could not help himself, as he took another long breath. He was startled, as he heard J.J. giggle. Looking down, he nuzzled the other man's hair. "What's so funny?" he asked, slightly amused.

J.J. giggles, once more. "Are you sniffing my hair?"

"Uh," Ryo replied, slightly embarrassed. "Uh, yeah, I am. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," J.J. replied, with a yawn. "It's actually kinda' cute." He froze, fearing that Ryo would be upset by his words. Instead, he felt the arms encircling his body tighten, a bit, and he settled back against the older man's chest, sighing, contentedly. "Ryo? Can I ask you one more thing? Please?"

Ryo chuckled. "Of course." He propped himself up, on his right elbow, placed his head against his hand, and waited.

J.J. blushed, a bit, before looking into Ryo's eyes. He took a deep breath. "You never answered my question, earlier," he replied, softly. "Why are you doing this for me?"

With a sigh, Ryo considered his answer, for a moment. In truth, he had no idea as to why he had suddenly become this way. There was no real answer to J.J.'s question, except that, as time passed, he had become protective of the younger man. _Yeah, how do I tell him that? He'd probably take off, running, screaming into the night._ He smiled, and, remembering that he was supposed to be answering J.J.'s question, he looked back down. _What do I say? I can't tell him the truth! For once, I don't want him out of my life. I…_ he trailed, considering his thoughts. He was shocked. _I… I want him in my life, don't I? Since when? Why do I suddenly feel the need to have him here? Comfort? God knows it's not out of pity… But, then, what is it?_

Noticing the sudden, conflicted look that covered Ryo's face, J.J. grew concerned. "Ryo?" He received no response. Fearing the he had upset the older man, again, the sharpshooter turned around in the bed, his back turned to Ryo. Feeling tears coming to his eyes, J.J. shut his eyes, tightly, waiting for either Ryo to get up, and leave, or for the older man to tell him to get out. It surprised him, a great deal, to feel and arm wrap around his waist. He let out a little shout.

Ryo, who had been broken from his thoughts by J.J.'s movements, decided that it was either tell the younger man the truth, or risk hurting him, further. He wrapped his left arm around J.J.'s waist, and smiled, as the man let out a small shout. "Shhh, it's okay," he whispered. Resting his head against J.J.'s arm, Ryo opened his mouth, to speak. "The reason," he began, softly, "That I am doing this, is that, over the past few months, well, really, over the last few years, you've become a big part of my life." He paused, and took a deep breath. "When I saw that you were hurting, I guess that I started to hurt, too."

"You were already hurting, Ryo," J.J. pointed out, quietly.

Ryo nodded. "I know that, but, seeing you every day, looking so upset…" He trailed off, still not completely sure of what he wanted to say. "I guess that, over the last few months, I've become…" He paused, and smiled down at J.J.

The younger man looked up, a worried expression crossing his face. "You've become what, Ryo?"

"Attached," the brunette concluded. "To you… Almost protective, I guess."

J.J. furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

Ryo laughed, and shrugged. "I have no idea why. I guess that it just happened." He sighed, frustrated with himself. "I'm sorry that I can't give you a better answer, J.J. That's all I've got, right now." Ryo was at a loss. What should he do? Stay here? Sleep on the couch? He had no idea if the other man was angry, or if he was just thinking about the response. Ryo decided to wait, a moment, before making a decision.

The answer came, as Ryo felt the man in his arms begin to move. As J.J. turned to face him, Ryo felt his heart jump, a little. Closing his eyes, he fought the feeling back, but, it found its way to the surface, once more. Swallowing, hard, Ryo felt a shudder course through his body, as he felt J.J.'s hands begin to caress his face. Before he could say a word, he felt something brush against his cheek, lightly. He opened his eyes, to find J.J. staring back at him, and Ryo could not help but blush, a little.

J.J. smiled. "It's a good enough answer, for me, right now." He looked at Ryo for a moment longer, before once again snuggling against the brunette's chest, and resting his head against the other man's chest. Taking a deep breath, the sharpshooter yawned, a little, before whispering his last words, for the night. "Good night, Ryo." With that, he slowly slipped into a quiet sleep.

Ryo looked down at J.J., for a long time after the younger man had fallen asleep. He was stunned. He had never, in four years, expected to be in this situation with J.J. Adams. _I'm too tired to think about this, now_, he told himself. _I'll just work everything out, in the morning._ Wrapping his arms tighter around the man in his arms, Ryo settled back against the pillows, and closed his eyes. Just as he finally allowed sleep to overcome him, Ryo had a final thought. _God, it's good to have him, here…_


End file.
